Premarital Counseling: Prepare/Enrich, SYMBIS, materials from Emotionally Focused and Gottman Couple's Therapies are materials that Elaine Barron uses as she prepares couples in the premarital process in the greater Roswell, Alpharetta, and Johns Creek area.

The wedding day is a much anticipated and well planned day. The bride has said “yes” to her dress, the setting has been carefully chosen and arrayed with lovely bouquets and candles. Friends and family are gathered round, vows have been written, and the newly married couple will soon hurry off for their honeymoon with the “Just Married” sign on the car. ​Then, the journey of marriage begins….The anticipated life long adventure of marriage warrants even more preparation than the wedding day —the melding of two very unique individuals from dissimilar backgrounds into a loving, connected relationship is challenging at best.

A 2006 study from the Journal of Family Psychology found couples who had received premarital education were 31% less likely to divorce. ​

Benefits of Premarital Counseling

​Promotes exchange of ideas on topics that may not have been previously discussed

Creates focus on the relationship during wedding preparation time

​Builds skills that can be carried forward to assist in the natural challenges of marriage

Gains perspective from objective third party to view and work on blindspots in relationship while motivation is high

Reflects the commitment of both partners to make their marriage a top priority​

My Style of Premarital CounselingI have the couple take the Prepare Inventory and use the findings as a basis to have the couple begin conversation on the following topics: Communication, Conflict Resolution, Finances, Spiritual Beliefs, Family & Friends, Recreation, Sex, Relationship Roles, Family of Origin, Expectations, and Parenting. In addition I utilize the materials and knowledge I've gleaned from training in the highly effective Gottman and Emotionally Focused Therapy techniques. These assist the couple in building communication and conflict resolution skills, which are critical in providing emotional safety and connection within their marriage. I tailor my approach with each individual couple in mind. ​Typically the Premarital Counseling consists of six 1-1 1/2 hour weekly sessions. ​

Testimonial "Elaine was fantastic from the start! Elaine was responsive to our questions and needs as well as very flexible with our busy pre-marital schedule. We ended up meeting on a weekly basis. We started out discussing the basics and gradually got into deeper topics. The discussions we had with each other and Elaine allowed us to open up and work out and discuss possible issues with a true professional in the room. It was tough at times! We cried, we laughed but more importantly we grew in our hour long sessions with Elaine. We highly recommend doing Pre-Marital counseling with Elaine, her program and skills are top notch!" A.G.